


A Field of Sunflowers

by SunflowerSupreme



Series: Clint's Home for Vacationing & Retired Superheroes [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, w.i.p.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 08:25:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14786936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSupreme/pseuds/SunflowerSupreme
Summary: Don’t get him wrong, he’s glad she’s not dead, but Stephen is about as tired of her as she is of him. They both need a break from the Sanctum Sanctorum.Or, I just remembered that no one is dead in this AU so I can bring back my favorite character.





	A Field of Sunflowers

**Author's Note:**

> Also, in case you were wondering, my username “Sunflower Supreme” comes from my nickname for the Ancient One, which is “Sunflower Supreme” because SHE WEARS A LOT OF YELLOW AND IS MY SUNSHINE MY ONLY SUNSHINE SHE MAKES ME HAPPY WHEN SKIES ARE GREY.
> 
> Can I marry Tilda Swinton?

When he had first brought her to the Sanctum Sanctorum (and by brought he meant smuggled her out of the hospital, despite Christine’s protests) he had snuck by her room for fear of waking her.

Their rooms were at the very top of the Sanctorum (most of the time, when it wasn’t being finicky and moving rooms) which was good because it meant she didn’t have easy access to the front door. It was also bad because it meant she didn’t have easy access to the front door.

Stephen found her one morning, several months into her recovery, halfway down the last flight of stairs to the front door, grumbling under her breath at various dieties. “Ancient One!” he gasped, wrapping his arms around her underarms and trying to pull her to her feet. “You should be resting!”

Her usually warm eyes narrowed. “Mister Strange, I have been resting for exactly two hundred and thirty-five days now.” He rolled his eyes, glad he was behind her where she couldn’t see him. “If I must continue to rest I shall not do it in that room.”

He deflated. “Alright, let’s get you to the library.”

“Nor shall I do it in this house.” He froze. The Ancient One had floated the idea (several times) of wanting to get out of the Sanctorum, but he hadn’t thought she was being serious. Apparently, she was.

“Ancient One,” he started.

“I am your elder- you will not stop me.”

“Fine!” He threw up his arms and let go, leaving her sitting on the stairs with a furious look on her face. “I can’t stop you because of magic and respect and all that, but I swore an oath before I met you to do no harm-”

“The Hypocratic Oath,” she supplied.

“And assisting you in going outside would be doing harm!” Stephen turned on his heel, shrugging off the cloak as he stormed back into the library. It would keep an eye on her - she may not see eye to eye with the strange magical object, but it wouldn’t let her get run over by a car or fall off a bridge. And, if the worst should happen, it would get him if needed.

He was well aware of her eyes, shooting daggers at his back. Of course, she had thought he was going to go along with what she wanted - she was used to people bending over backward to please her - but he wasn’t about to help her do something stupid. 

* * *

When he hadn’t seen any sign of her or the cloak by evening, he was worried. She had missed two meals, and despite having next to no appetite she cared enough about schedules to turn up. Usually.

Stephen stomped down the stairs, checking all the nooks in the entry hall before deciding that she must have convinced the Cloak to take her outside. He didn’t have to look far once he got outside. Familiar laughter drew his attention to a bench not far from the door where The Ancient One was seated, the Cloak draped around her frail shoulders while Spiderman hung upside down from the lamp post beside her. Neither of them seemed bothered at all by the large berth people were giving them, some going so far as to cross the street entirely.

“Okay, so I totally did not imagine him like that at all. He’s so serious!”

“Serious?” she raised an eyebrow, “Are you quite certain we’re talking about the same man, Mister Spider?”

“Trust me, there is only one person named Doctor Strange,” Peter laughed.

Sensing his approach the Cloak snapped off her shoulders and raced to wrap itself around it’s chosen master. He batted away the persistent collar.

“Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear,” she remarked, offering Stephen a smile which he half-heartedly returned. “It seems my keeper has arrived, I suppose this is farewell.”

“Aww man,” Peter complained. “I meant what I said, I can totally sneak you into my room. Aunt May won’t notice. Probably.”

She laughed again, and Stephen inwardly winced as he noticed how much effort it seemed to take, her hand knotting in her tunic above her ribs. He had a bad feeling she had been sitting on the bench for hours, too stubborn to send Peter or the Cloak to fetch him and still too tired to make the journey inside herself.

“I will remember that,” she promised, letting Stephen grab her hand and pull her to her feet. The cloak slipped off him without any command, wrapping back around her to offer her legs support.

They all said their farewells, Stephen rushing it along more than he usually would, afraid her legs would completely give out, and then they turned to go back to the Sanctorum.

“Oh wait!” Stephen and the Ancient One turned, looking back over their shoulder to see Peter hopping toward them. “I just remembered - you know the Avenger Hawkeye? He’s got this like, farm, and he lets all the superheroes hang out there.”

“We aren’t superheroes,” the Ancient One said, shaking her head with a fond smile. “We are Masters of the Mystic Arts.”

“Yeah, well, I won’t tell him if you don’t.” Peter shrugged. “Anyway, you said you were sick of New York and I thought you might like it! Last time I was there he had actual space aliens visiting! And they had a real Space Ship! And a talking raccoon - but don’t call him that - and a tree and this really scary green lady but she’s super nice and I think you’d like her.” He dug into the pockets of his suit as he continued, “Anyway, Mrs. Barton’s really nice and you’d love her and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the visitors!” Finding what he was looking for, a piece of paper and a pen he paused. “I just remembered I don’t know their address.” He looked around quickly, then shot a web toward the nearest roof. “Don’t go far! I’ll get it from Mister Stark!”

“You have a phone! You could call him!” Stephen yelled after him, but he was already out of sight. Once they stumbled inside she nearly collapsed, and he looped his arm under her leg, lifting her off the ground. The fact that she didn’t protest being carried back to her room spoke volumes about how worn out she must be.

Peter texted them the address an hour later.

**Author's Note:**

> I definitely have plans to write the whole “she's not dead she just lives in Stephen’s attic” AU one of these days.
> 
> ** I headcanon that the Cloak used to be very loyal to TAO, but that it didn’t approve of her deal with Dormammu so that's why she was so surprised that it was helping Stephen
> 
> ** Peter Parker and Doctor Strange have a great relationship in the comics so I imagine him hanging around Bleeker street when there's nothing happening, hoping to see some magic.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for more nonsense: [SunflowerSupremes](https://sunflowersupremes.tumblr.com/).


End file.
